Improvement in life-boats



Um'rnn STATES,

PA ENT QFFIGE.

JAMES OOSGRO, OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,694, dated May 23, 1876; application filed March 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JAMES F. GOSGRO, of

Santa Clara, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented a new and A Improved Life-Boat, of which the following is from storms and the boat from filling; and,

also, a hollow keel, of sheet metal, which fills with water and materially assists in keeping the boat upright.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved life-boat, taken on the line a; 'w of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan View, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line a: m of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

A and B represent semicircular decks, which are fitted in corresponding ways or guides O, or on a pivot D, or in any suitable manner to swing or slide down into the boat under the floor E, or be raised up to close over the'cabins F, in which the passengers rest, for their protection, and for the protection of the boat. The sliding deck A may be whole, as in the drawings, or divided in two parts, to close together at the top, as preferred. Below the cabins, and at the ends, will be air-tight compartments, G and H. for storing goods, and a middle compartment, I, may be reserved forfresh water. The pivoted deck B has the end portions J attached; but in the; sliding arrangement said ends are permanently fixed, and have the 'upper guides (J, in which it slides.

For detaching the boat with safety and certainty, I employ the cranked rod K, with'hooked 01' curved ends L extending from end to end of the boat, along the middle, and fixed in bearings, to turn from side to side to shift the hooks or curves: up or down, according to whether the lowering-tackle is to be retained or detached. The cranked portion M of the rod swings over the decks, and, being fastened in the upright position represented by the dotted lines N, serves for the support of an awning of canvas for the protection of the passengers from wind or rain.

1? represents the hollow keel, of sheet metal or other approved materiahwhich I propose to use to assist the boat in keeping upright, which is efiected by the weight of the Water, which is utilized better by being retained in the keel than when forced to escape from it, as in the common arrangement. The decks will have suitable openings, P, for light and ventilation. v

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent I 1. The combination of the rotating or slidin g semicircular decks AB with alife-boat, having the circular-bottomed cabins or spaces F, substantially as specified.

2. The hollow keel P, combined with a boat, substantially as specified.

JAMES FRANK ooseRo.

.Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. SMEAD, R. A. OooPER. 

